Galapagos Birding

Galapagos Birding during the warm season is the best time of the year for this activity in these exotic Islands.

Galapagos Finch

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With the arrival of the rain at the beginning of the year in the Galapagos Islands, and the availability of food, Darwin Finches take advantage of the resources.

And during the subsequent months, they dedicate themselves to breeding.

When the courtship reaches its climax, the female will lay a clutch of a few eggs in one of the several nests that the male has carefully built and leaves them entirely to the male's care for incubating and feeding the hatchings.

And the female? She goes off looking for another male to start again the reproductive cycle.

This reproductive behavior called polyandry, in which females have different male partners, could have a purpose of preventing "damaged genes" for future offspring.

This behavior is a response to evolutionary mechanisms in which all participants receive a benefit.

In the case of the hatchings, they are protected, fed and taken care of.

Male Finches make sure that their genetic material is passed on, an interest in male's nature.

Females take advantage of the presence of other breeding males, resources, courtship and the long reproductive cycle to start all over again.

It is an energetic cost but with the advantage of enlarging and diversifying the genetic reserve of the female.

Thus, she receives a diversified genetic pool and takes advantage of a long and available reproductive period.

Blue Footed Boobies are known as fearless divers from 100 feet (30 mt) or more and picturesque dancers with their beaks pointing up to the sky, while stomping the ground with their huge bright blue webbed feet.

Red Footed Boobies are the only ones with prehensile feet. They nest on Palo Santo trees or bushes.

These boobies start mating when they still have their juvenile plumage. You can see them abundantly on Genovesa Island

The Waved Albatross will amaze you with their spectacular courtship-displays.

This marvelous choreographed ritual lasting up to 20 minutes, reaches its peak in October with the new-found couple then waiting until the following year to breed.

Because of their isolation from the mainland Galapagos birds are unafraid of humans and more approachable than anywhere else. The Galapagos Islands are one of the greatest of all birdwatching destinations.

In Galapagos there are around 120 bird species, many of which are endemic to these group of Islands, found nowhere else on Earth.

The warm season beginning in January is the best time of the year for Galapagos birding activities.